WORK has started to improve the vision and safety of motorists travelling on a notorious stretch of road that has been the scene of several fatalities.
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Wagga City Council secured $90,000 in funding from Transport NSW for the investigation into potential road safety upgrades at Houlaghans Creek Bridge on Coolamon Road in June of last year.
The crash response funding came following a horror two-car crash at the bridge in February 2021 that killed a 44-year-old Mount Austin man but, tragically, that is not the only fatality at that location.
In July of 2014, a 38-year-old Wagga father, Clinton Rowley, died on the bridge after his vehicle collided with a tip-truck.
"We made our application to the Centre for Road Safety for funding these works following the last fatality [in February of 2021]," Wagga City Council director of infrastructure services Warren Faulkner said.
"Council made an application to the Centre for Road Safety for $90,000 to undertake tree removal ... adjacent to the southern approach to the bridge to increase sight distance, renew line marking and signs and install advanced warning signs of a narrow bridge at the approach to the bridge."
The conditions of crash response funding are that works must be undertaken within 12 months of approval.
It has been 10 months since the funds were approved.
Mr Faulkner said that condition did not allow for longer-term upgrades of the site.
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Work will include the removal of yellow box trees which have grown on the embankments, improved road line marking at the location, the installation of new warning signs on bridge approaches, improved existing hazard markers on bridge ends, and patch sections of the road.
Mr Faulkner said the clearing of the side next to the bridge would be finished by Friday, as long as the weather permits.
Another day will then be allocated for the replacement of signs and line marking.
Mr Faulkner said the upgrades to the area would give motorists travelling over the bridge improved sight distance around the curve that the bridge was located on.
"The ability to see oncoming vehicles sooner will be improved because of improved sight distance up the road," he said.
Mr Faulkner said all requested works that were submitted to the Centre for Road Safety would be completed.
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